New Delhi:
Uttar Pradesh assembly Speaker Satish Mahana has sparked a controversy with his comments that the offerings stolen from the Ram temple in Ayodhya were only those which “may not have been donated with true devotion”. Amid criticism from Opposition parties, he clarified that his comments were aimed at Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, who asked for his donation to the temple to be returned, following the theft of offerings running in lakhs of rupees.
Mahana, an eight-time MLA from Kanpur, told news agency ANI that if indeed anybody wants their donation to the Ram temple returned, the temple authorities will gladly do it.
“Has anyone ever asked for donated money back? Think of anything donated in society. Has anyone ever asked for it to be returned? If someone asks, they are ready to return the money. As I said, I dedicated a small sum at the feet of the Lord; I feel that the contribution I made is part of this magnificent temple,” he said.
He tore into the Opposition for maligning every person and the entire organisation that struggled for the Ram temple to be built.
“People’s money has indeed gone into it. If someone wants it back, someone who feels their money was stolen, the government and the trust are taking action regarding the theft. Regardless of whether the person involved holds a low-ranking or high-ranking position, action must be taken against them. That is one aspect. But the idea that the entire organisation which struggled for the Ram Janmabhoomi movement consists of thieves is something that cannot be accepted under any circumstances,” Mahana said, adding he has been associated with the Ram Janmabhoomi movement from the very beginning.
#WATCH | Lucknow | On his statement on the Ayodhya Ram temple donations embezzlement row, Uttar Pradesh Assembly Speaker Satish Mahana says, “Has anyone ever asked for donated money back? Think of anything donated in society, has anyone ever asked for it to be returned? If… pic.twitter.com/PWZl7lUwMD
— ANI (@ANI) July 15, 2026
“Today, the magnificent temple that stands there is the fruit of people’s faith, dedication, selflessness and sacrifice spanning 400 years. Now, those who once hesitated to even say Jai Shri Ram, who insisted that a mosque should remain there, or even suggested building a toilet at the site, and who contributed nothing to the Ram temple, are suddenly expressing concern. No one is defending those who committed theft. Has theft never occurred in any institution or sector in this country? Those who stole were caught, and everyone agrees that action should be taken against them. However, it is entirely unfair to put everyone associated with that institution in the dock,” he said.
#WATCH | Lucknow | Uttar Pradesh Assembly Speaker Satish Mahana says, “I have been associated with the Ram Janmabhoomi movement from the very beginning. Today, the magnificent temple that stands there is the fruit of people’s faith, dedication, selflessness, and sacrifice… pic.twitter.com/TaXmNUlHva
— ANI (@ANI) July 15, 2026
Reacting to the comments, the UP Congress unit in a post on X took a swipe at the assembly Speaker.
“According to Assembly Speaker Satish Mahana, those whose donations were stolen from the Ram temple did not donate with ‘true devotion’. That means there is no failure of the government, the fault lies with the intentions of the devotees,” it said. The Opposition party asked if the BJP government would now “audit people’s faith”.
The Samajwadi Party’s media cell called the comments “highly shameful and condemnable”. “Satish Mahana should refrain from making such statements. He should speak in a manner befitting the dignity of the office of the Assembly speaker and should not play with public sentiment,” the party said in a post on X.
The theft of the temple’s offerings surfaced in the first week of June, following which the state government formed a special investigation team. An FIR was filed on the basis of an initial report from the SIT. Eight people associated with the temple’s donation-counting process have so far been arrested, while two functionaries of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust – its former general secretary Champat Rai and trustee Anil Mishra – have resigned.
